Paper Hearts and Teddy Bears
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Jackie's going to be all alone on Valentine's Day, what is Michael to do? Valentine's Day Fluff Challenge Entry.


**A/N: Here is my entry for SimpleObsession-1's Valentine's Day Fluff/Romance Challenge (I thought it was a great idea!). This is a bit of a follow on from my story "Valentine's Day" but you don't have to have read it. Hope you like!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**_Paper Hearts and Teddy Bears_**

Even since that Valentine's Day several years ago when they had finally come to an understanding, the holiday had been extra special for both Michael and Jackie. For this reason it was especially hard that this year they would have to spend the holiday apart.

Michael was working on a particularly tough case and wouldn't be able to get the time off, leaving Jackie with the children for the day.

Not that Jackie had minded, at first.

To begin with, Jackie had consoled herself with the thought of spending some time with the children. Only she had forgotten that this year Ian had promised Jimmy that he would take him camping for the weekend. The girls would also be gone as Michael's mother had promised Nerys and Katrina a 'girl's weekend' at her place and had insisted on including Ebony as well.

Both schemes had been made so that Jackie and Michael could have a Valentine's Day on their own.

Now, however, they only served to leave Jackie on her own for the entire weekend as she hadn't had the heart to tell the children they couldn't go. She wouldn't even have Nelson as he was going camping with Jimmy as at that stage Michael had been talking about going away themselves.

The most alone time they would have together was the night before Michael left, which ended up being filled with making sure that the children had packed everything they needed and that they had had their dinner before departing for their separate destinations.

Jackie was therefore absolutely mortified when she woke up to find that Michael had all ready left, without waking her. She was so upset that she almost didn't see the rather large, honey coloured teddy bear that was sitting on Michael's side of the bed. A closer inspection of the bear revealed that it had the words 'I love you' embroidered on one of its feet and her and Michael's initials on the other.

On his pillow was a note:

_I'm sorry I didn't wake you before I left, but you looked so peaceful. Besides, it gave me an opportunity to set everything up.  
This bear is so that you don't get lonely (and can still wake up next to a gorgeous blonde).  
I love you,  
Michael_

She smiled as she refolded the note and picked up the bear, "So, I'm sharing my bed with a gorgeous blonde am I?" she asked the bear, "I suppose I should name you," she added after a moment. "Calling you 'Michael' might be a little too obvious I guess," she mused, feeling a little silly for talking to a teddy bear. "Theo," she decided after regarding him for a long moment, with a satisfied nod she got out of bed, taking Theo with her.

That was when she noticed the trail of red paper hearts, their points all facing towards the door. "He wasn't kidding when he said he'd set something up," she said, slipping into her bathrobe and following the trail.

The trail of hearts led her into the kitchen, where Michael had set her a place at the kitchen table, complete with a single red rose in a vase. The actual breakfast selection he had left up to her, though he _had_ left some homemade pancake mix in the fridge along with a punnet of strawberries.

Smiling to herself she made some pancakes and sat down to enjoy the peace that being by herself afforded; though the peace did lose some of its appeal as she reflected further on her lonely state.

Determined not to let that bother her she decided to finish off her breakfast and do the dishes before she got dressed, since the dishwasher would be out of the question as Michael had set the table with their best dinner service.

However when she lifted up her plate she found another red heart stuck to the table cloth, this one with writing on it:

_Don't even think about doing the dishes, this is _your_ day. If I come home to clean dishes, I will not be impressed_.

Reflecting that she probably wouldn't get another offer like that in a hurry, she simply put the dishes into the sink and went back upstairs.

After dressing she made her way into the en suite, where she was met by another note in the form of a red heart:

_Once you're ready, take your bear and go into the lounge room._

"What if I don't want to?" she teased the note, having half a mind to not go into the lounge room. But she knew that Michael was counting on her natural curiosity get the better of her. So it was that, once she was ready, Jackie found herself in the lounge room, Theo tucked snugly under one arm.

It was in this room that Michael had truly out done himself.

Red and white paper chains were looped along the walls; large, red candles glowed at strategic points about the room and red hearts of various sizes were dotted about the room. A closer look at some of the hearts revealed that the children had been in on this little scheme of Michael's.

In the middle of it all was the coffee table, draped in a red table cloth, on top of which was a pile of Jackie's favourite movies and an assortment of chocolates. Including a small platter of fruit next to the chocolate fondue set that Jackie hadn't had the time to use in a long time.

She shook her head, there were times when she wondered what she had done to deserve Michael and this was one of them. Smiling to herself she settled back on the couch with Theo and her chocolate, all set to enjoy the movie.

The rest of her day continued much as it had begun: Michael had taken care of everything and there were paper hearts scattered at various points about the house telling her where to go next or simply reminding her that he loved her.

All things that had added up together to make her day much more enjoyable than she could have imagined; even the small fact of having Theo with her had made facing the empty bed less of a challenge. Theo couldn't hold a candle to snuggling up with Michael, but the mere fact that she had something to cuddle made sleep come much more easily.

...

Much later that evening, or very early the next morning depending on your thinking, Michael crept into the house. He smiled to himself when he saw the dishes still in the sink and that most of the food had been eaten, with any luck he had managed to make her day more bearable.

Quietly he made his way into their bedroom and turned on his bedside lamp, he smiled at the sight that greeted him: Jackie was all snuggled up with the teddy bear in her arms, fast asleep. He took a moment to enjoy the sight before he got ready for bed.

Carefully he slid into the bed next to her. He froze as she stirred slightly and rolled over to face him, "I didn't hear you come in," she murmured sleepily, eyes still closed.

"I didn't want to wake you," he said, just as quietly.

"Thank you for the wonderful day, Michael," she continued, snuggling into him.

"You're welcome Jackie," he told her as he kissed her hair, "I love you."

He felt her smile against his chest, "I love you too," she told him, kissing his chest, just above his heart.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said softly as he pulled her closer and they both drifted off to sleep.

----

**A/N: Ian is Michael's brother from the episode _Apocalypse_ and Michael's Dad is dead but I believe his mother is still alive. (At any rate, she is now! :P) Wasn't is nice of them to give Michael and Jackie a weekend off? :)**


End file.
